Thill-coupling



2 model.)

T. A. WATROUS. Thill Coupling.

No. 242,085. Patented May 24-, I881.-

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS WATROUS, OF WELLSBOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

srncnrrcnrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,085, dated May 24.", 1881.

Application filed February 24, 1881. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs A. WATROUS, of Wellsborough, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and Improved Thill-Ooupling and I do hereby declare' the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top-plan view; Fig. 2, a side view, and Fig. 3 a sectional view taken on the line am, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

My invention consists of a safe and noiseless thill-coupling constructed as I will now proceed to describe.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a metal bed piece or plate adapted to be secured to the under side of the axle B by means of a clip, 0, and having shoulders at a, which flt against the axle in front and rear and greatly relieve the clip of strain. The ends of the clip may be riveted against the plate A, or screwthreaded and provided with nuts, as-shown. The forward part of the plate A is provided with lugs or side flanges, a 0 between which is pivoted the eye at of an ordinary thill-iron,

D, upon a cross-bolt, a that passes transversely through perforations in the lugs, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. Between the lugs or side flanges, and resting upon the part a of the plate, is an elastic rubber block, E. This rubberblockis adaptedto bearagainst and partially overlap the eye of the thill-iron, as shown in Fig. 3, and it is held in place by a capplate, F, and a screw-bolt, Gr,which passes down through the cap-plate and'the block and into a screw-threaded orifice, a ,in the lower plate. The rubber block is of wedge-shaped form, being thickest at the, end which bears against and overlaps the eye of the thill-iron,;and tapering thence to the end nearest the clip,as shown in Fig. 3, and when inserted loosely in place it projects slightly above the side flanges or lugs, a a, in order that when the cap-plate is forced down by the operation of the screwboltl the block will be compressed and expa ded laterally, and caused to bear with increased pressure against the eye of the thilliron. The cap-plate F is provided with depending side flanges, f f, which embrace the lugs or side flanges, a a of the lower plate, and hold the cap-plate from lateral displacement. The downward-turned extensions or ends f f of the side flanges of the cap-plate cover, or partially cover, the ends of the pivotal cross-bolt a when the cap is screwed down, so as to hold said bolt from working out and causing an uncoupling of the device.

It-is, of course, desirable at times to take off the thills, and in order that this may be readily accomplished without entirely removing the cap plate 1 bevel or chamfer off the side flanges of the lower plate, as shown in dotted lines at a in Fig. 2, so as toenable the cap-plate, when the screw-bolt G is screwed out or loosened, to be tilted backward, as shown in dotted lines, until the ends f f of its side flanges are removed from the ends of the cross-bolt a, when the latter can be pushed out and the thill-iron released.

The perforation in the rubber block is pref- 7 erably made a trifle smaller than the diameter of the screw-bolt G, which passes through it, and the binding of the rubber on said bolt, in addition to the pressure of the cap-plate on the head of the bolt, is suflicient to effectually prevent the bolt from accidentally turning or working loose after being adju sted to position.

Inasmuch as the rubber block is entirely inclosed it is protected from dust, mud, and water, and cannot possibly become lost or accidentally displaced.

Thus constructed the coupling is strong, noiseless, easily and cheaply made, not liable to get out of order, and, in fact, contains every desideratum of a first-class appliance of its kind.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new- 1. The combination of the lower plate, its flanges, the thill-iron, and the pivotal crossbolt with the rubber block bearing against and slightly overlapping the eye of the thilliron, the cap plate having the side flanges, and means for clamping down the cap-plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the lower plate, its flanges, the thill-iron, and the pivotal crossbolt with the rubber block, the cap-plate havthe cross-bolt, the thill-iren, and the cap-plate :0 ing the side flanges,and the extension of said and its clamping-bolt, whereby by loosening flanges adapted to cover the ends of the pivthe clamping-bolt the cap-plate can be slightly otal cross-bolt, and with the screw-bolt G, for tilted,so as to enable the cross-bolt to be pushed clamping down the cap-plate, substantially as out, substantially as described.

described. THOMAS A. VVATROUS.

3. The combination of the lower plate, hav- Witnesses:

ing the side flanges beveled or chamfered, as HENRY (3. 00K,

deseribed,with the wed ge-shaped rubberblock, L. D. WILLARD. 

